The present invention relates to the field of nanosensor technology.
There are many challenges associated with the development of novel sensors that rely on nanoscale phenomena and materials. Different nanosensor technologies show promise—optical properties of quantum dots, electrical properties of nanotubes, or mechanical properties of cantilevers—and numerous hurdles specific to each must be overcome involving optimal design, manufacturability, nano/micro integration, and robustness. However, one fundamental obstacle is prominent for all major nanoscale sensing technologies: how to chemically functionalize the sensor to detect only the specific object of interest and nothing else. It can take years to find the right chemical linker or surface modification that will attach a desired molecule with a given specificity, and in some cases, it may not even be possible.
Currently, chemical functionalization techniques are used to specify what the desired nano (or micro) detector is to sense. For example, for biological molecules, this might mean developing an antibody/antigen (i.e., lock-key) pair, or an alternative synthetically generated ligand.